On 27 November 2010 07:30, Frederick Noronha <fredericknoro...@gmail.com> wrote:
There was a discussion on Saligao-Net [http://groups.google.com/group/saligao-net] about why jaggery was used in old buildings in Goa. Below are some hints. Anyone would have a clue? (I hope JC will not charge me with promoting more stereotypes about the Goan*s*). -- FN == Good morning FN. Trust thou art well. Good to see that you are making an attempt to check some facts before rushing to print. Just so that you may know - I am not an expert on construction. But, being from Carabolim (via Velim) I do know a little about the 'deconstruction of the proverbial 'hook'. This time around, you are not "stereotyping Goans". Jaggery is not known to be a popular item in Goa except until recently. It was quite well known (in what was Poona, at least) that builders (labour from South India aka Vadarwadis) of puls (micro-mini bridges) would use some crushed nuts soaked in jaggery apparently to harden the chuna they used in building. They built one connecting the main road to the hospital-campus I grew up in. No .....they (the builders) were not Goans ....not even your "Goanese".......but they would be quite spirited in the evening courtesy Dalda (the code word for Navsagar)......the awful smell would permeate the atmosphere of very colourful "hyderabadi". YUCK! gtg - have a busy weekend .....so if you have any pressing (i.e. needling) questions .....I will answer them after you answer questions put to you by Rajan Parrikar. jc So ...there ...
